Monthly Archives: January 2017

Creating a great culture at the office is one of the most important things a business can do for their employees, and for their own success! Employees who look forward to coming into work each day will be more productive, create better relationships with coworkers, and will stay longer than employees who don’t enjoy their workplace. Wondering how to create a great culture? Here are our top five tips.

Have fun together

Tailgate lunch for the Michigan State University vs. University of Michigan football game

Employers often think they need to plan extravagant outings to make their staff happy, but sometimes simple, more frequent events can make a bigger impact. Here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, we have happy hours or lunchtime barbecues biweekly throughout the summer and into the fall. Hosting a happy hour is incredibly simple, and starts by sending out an invite a few weeks in advance. On the day of the event, just set out some beverages and snacks, pull out the cornhole boards, and send a quick reminder email when it’s go time!

Outside of company-wide events, you can create other opportunities to have fun. You can organize a trip to a new restaurant in town, rent out a movie theater for your staff and families to view the new Pixar movie, or even recreate an interesting video that has been circulating online. Our Home Office team recently got in on the mannequin challenge action and had a blast – check out the results on our Facebook page!

Get mission-driven

Mission can be an incredibly powerful driver of company culture. Many companies have a mission statement, but don’t talk about it as often as they could. Highlighting your company’s mission can help get everyone the same page and working toward the same goals. This not only energizes your teams, but provides an understanding of what’s important and why. You can start small by sharing company stories on social media that show team members living out the mission, or printing cards that explain the company’s mission statement to give to new employees.

Be consistent

One of the biggest struggles with employee culture is gaining and keeping up momentum. You don’t want your efforts to falter, but rather build and get better over time. The best solution to this is consistency. Whether it’s offering a set opportunity to volunteer on the third Thursday of each month, or sending out monthly newsletters with birthdays and exciting upcoming events, consistency is key, and it will show your staff that your efforts are there to stay (just as you hope they are!).

Encourage outside activities

Sharing part of our culture – to be your best and have fun!

Not all employee culture events happen within the physical building of an office. Encouraging outside activities can allow employees to relax and connect with others in a way they may not be able to at work. One easy way to do this is offering to sponsor a recreational softball, dodgeball, or kickball team. Not only will this help with employee appreciation, it will help support your marketing and recruiting efforts as well.

Ask for feedback

The most beneficial thing you can do for your employee culture is asking for some good, old-fashioned feedback. This can be as formal or informal as needed. Try to reach people who participate in events and initiatives as well as those who don’t, and from various departments. Ask what they like, what they don’t like, what they would change, and what excites them. Who knows, you may have 100 avid book readers who would love time and space for a book club once monthly, or three whole departments who enjoy playing the same card game.

Pro-tip: Set a goal for participation if doing a formal survey. If your goal is met, everyone gets a reward – win, win!

Once you’ve laid the groundwork for creating a great culture, take a step back to observe your progress. Are team members finding new ways to collaborate on projects, offering input to improve the company, or referring their friends for open positions? These are all great indicators of success!
If instead of creating a great culture you’re looking to join a great culture, look no further than TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. View open positions and apply online today at careers.twomenandatruck.com!

We all know the typical New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, eat healthier, or begin long overdue home improvement projects, but what about career resolutions? It’s no secret that many people struggle with career-related stress. The average American spends about 30% of their life working, so feeling stressed at work can impact your entire life! But don’t worry – if there’s a will, there’s a way. Sometimes we just need a little help to get moving in the right direction. Use our helpful tips to develop (and stick to) your career resolutions this year!

Make a plan with actionable steps

The most important steps in kicking off a career resolution are determining your goals and developing a plan of attack! How many of us have made New Year’s resolutions and never accomplished them? I know I have! It is imperative to develop plans with practical steps and reachable goals. Ask yourself, what do you want more or less of in your career? Do you want less stress, more flexibility, or more responsibility? Once you’ve determined your resolutions, ask yourself, what are the steps I need to take to reach my goals?

For example, if your resolution is to be “less stressed” at work, what are some steps you can take to decrease stress? Can you organize your time better or schedule fewer back-to-back meetings? You can start preparing your calendar two weeks ahead of time, or look at each week in advance and reschedule any conflicting appointments. Being proactive is a great way to eliminate stress from your daily schedule.

Communicate

This may seem very basic to most people, but communication with your team or manager can be one of leading causes of stress at work. It is key to make sure you understand what is expected of you. Asking for clear and concise details on new projects – such as deadlines or specific subject matter – is key to completing a successful work assignment or project. Also, feel free to communicate your career resolutions to your coworkers, manager, or mentor – you may be surprised at how others want to support your goals.

Understand your department’s goals

This is very important to being successful with your career resolutions. In order to excel and achieve greatness within your company, you must first understand the goals of your department, and what your role is in helping to get there. Are you revenue generating, support staff, or customer service focused? What is your department’s mission? The answers to these questions will help to give you a “big picture” perspective of how your personal career goals fit with your current role.

Be accountable

Bring integrity to your resolutions. Being accountable for your actions says a lot to your manager and coworkers, and should apply to career goals as well. If you make a mistake, own it and do what you can to fix it! If you say you are going to do something, do it! Simply put – be someone that you would want to work with. If it helps, write down mini-goals that can be accomplished more easily and keep you on track.

Work life balance

This one probably isn’t a new fresh idea, but it sure is an important one. You can’t expect to be happy with your job if you aren’t happy outside of work. Schedule time to do things you are passionate about, whether it is a hobby like painting, or just simply going to catch that new movie you’ve been wanting to see! Life isn’t just about working, it’s about having fun, too! Don’t forget to make time for friends and family – everyone needs a support system!

After you’ve worked toward your resolutions, if you still are not feeling a relief or seeing a change, sometimes it truly is time to start looking for a change. Check out careers with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® for new opportunities and like us on Facebook to receive regular updates!